Sir Isaac Newton's Answers
Tell us about your education.Ah, ahem. Well, you might say that, as a child in grammar school, I did not apply myself to my studies and often fell behind my classmates. However, as the end of a term approached, I would, to put it in today's vernacular, "study like crazy all night long," and pass my courses with satisfactory results.
I attended Trinity College in Cambridge, where I received my Bachelor's degree. I was later elected to a fellowship at the same institution.
How do you define gravity?Gravity is a force. It's the force that pulls me and you into our seats and tugs on an apple in a tree. It's the force that keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth and the Earth in orbit around the Sun.
The force of gravity is described by the law of universal gravitation. The law states that gravity is universal because it applies to all bodies throughout the entire known universe. It also states that gravity is mutual. This means, for example, that not only is the Moon attracted to the Earth, the Earth is also attracted to the Moon.
What do you think about time?
I believe that there are several "types" of time, including relative time, apparent time, and absolute time.
Absolute time is an ideal scale of time. It is useful because it simplifies calculations dealing with the laws of mechanics. Now don't misunderstand me -- absolute time is real. It's just not necessarily the time that we perceive.
What's the deal with matter?
I am an atomist. I believe that all matter is made up of minuscule particles called atoms. It is the properties of these atoms that give matter its properties.
There are other minuscule particles that inhabit our Universe, too. These particles are responsible for light. Indeed, these particles are striking the retinas of your eyes this very moment -- they enable you to see the absurd mask I am holding in front of my face.
